Knitting machine



May 19, 1936. P. KAPLAN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1953 '5Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 1 ATTORNEY ShaKer Rab Hd'F Cardigan May 19,1936. P. KAPLAN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INCIENTD ATTORNEY May 19, 1936. K AN 2,041,417

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY W ATTORNEYPatented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINEPhilip Kaplan, Lowell, Mass.

Application December 18, 1933, Serial No.-' l02,943

4Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines of the type in which thereis -what is known as.

a dial with dial needles which operate in a radial direction from thecenter and. what is known as a cylinder which has cylinder needles whichin a vertical plane operate at right angles to the dial needles, thecylinder needles being arranged at equal distance around a central axiswhich passes through the center of the circle on which the dial needlesare located and at right angles thereto.

The main purpose of the device is to provide mechanism by which what isknown as a rib stitch can be shifted to a shaker stitch thus avoidingthe necessity of forming the rib on one machineand the shaker on anotherand then sewing them together.

My preferred construction is on the type of knitting machine in whichthe cylinder needles are on the inside and the dial needles on'theoutside, but the same devices can be used on machines in which thecylinder needles are on the outside and the dial needles are on theinside.

I am aware that transfer needles or transfer members in which there areprongs which slide up and down in grooves on each side of a latch needlehave been used for transferring stitches,

but on account of their construction they do not positively pick up theloop and they do catch the fiber thus causing flaws. p

The main feature of my device is the use of a transfer needle which islocated parallel with and slidable along that part of a latch needlewhich is on the opposite side from the latch. Ordinarily, this would bein a position between the dial and the cylinder needles. This transferneedle is split at its pointed end and is provided with an eye andholding notches so arranged that a latch needle can go through the eyebelow the notches before the transfer needle is withdrawn;

While the latch needle is advanced or while it is being retracted, thetransfer needle pushesup behind it and its split point, which movesalong the back of the latch needle, easily passes through between thesides of the loop of yarn caught by the latch needle, there being anopen space at the back of the latch needle on account of-the nature ofthe formation of the loop.

At the sides,- the yarn is pulled in close to the latch needle, but atthe back, there is obviously an open space and it is through this openspace that the point of the transfer needle passes.

The movements of the parallel latch and transfer needles are so timedthat the notches across the eye of each transfer needle will receive theloop as it slips over the end of the latch needle and thereby hold it sothat there is ample space through the eye below the notches 5 for alatch needle, moving at right angles, to pass through the loop.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a complete knittingmachine of my preferred ype.

Fig. 2 shows the shaker stitch and rib stitch at their junction point.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showhig a garment started with a half cardiganstitch which merges into a rib stitch and then is transferred by my itmachine to a shaker stitch.

Fig. 4 is -a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a section online 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the top of a knitting machine showing someparts broken away to 20 show the construction.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the top of a knitting machine with controllingparts removed showing diagrammatically the positions of the various camsor switches and needles.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view showing a detail of thearrangement of the cam grooves in connection with the dial needles.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the cylinder and dial some partsbeing omitted for clearness.

Fig. 10 is a developed view of a cylinder section of the cam cylinder,the section being cut through so as to show the cam grooves of thecylinder cam.

. Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view show- 35 ing the relationbetween a transfer needle and its adjoining latch needle which, asshown, is one of the cylinder-needles, andthe relationof both to thecam'gr'ooves. This, however, might be a vertical section through a dialequipped with transfer needles instead of a cylinder equipped withtransfer needles.

Fig. 12- is an inside view of a transfer needle. Figsi 13 and 14 areenlarged detail views from 45 the top showing how a loop of yarn istaken from .a cylinder needle by a transfer needle and then by a dialneedle from the transfer needle.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged side view-showing the position of the yarn, thetransfer and latch needle when the latch needle is about to let go ofthe loop and leave it on the transfer needle.

Figs. 16 and 16A. are enlarged views showing, how, as the transferneedle is retractedihe latch needle, which is at right angles to it,spreads the eye of the transfer needle and takes off the loop of yarn.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged horizontal section of a cylinder with transferneedles and latch needles.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged detail view showing the action of the compoundcams on the dial needles.

Fig. 19 is a section on line I9-I9 of Fig. 19A and Fig. 19A is ahorizontal cross section through the cam carrier plate and its groovesshowing another type of cam or switch from the top.

Figs. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 are vertical section detail views showing theaction of the latch needles and the transfer needle. v

Fig. 25 is a plan view showing the mechanism for operating the compoundcam shown in difierent positions.

Figs. 26 and 27 are elevations showing the compound cam and itsoperating mechanism from different positions.

Fig. 28 is a view of the disc or plate which covers or uncovers thenotches in the compound cam.

Fig. 29 is a horizontal section on the line 29-29 of Fig. 30.

Fig. 30 is a view of the compound cam and its operating mechanism fromthe opposite side from Fig. 27.

Fig. 31 is a diagrammatic elevation showing how the rolling disc of thecompound cam rolls over the cam followers of alternate needles.

Fig. 31A is a horizontal sectional view looking down on the line 3IA3 IAof Fig. 28. It is associated with a diagram showing as well as possiblethe direction of the various rolling and sliding movements which thecompound cam produces on the needles.

Fig. 32 is a vertical section through one edge of one of the dial needlegrooves to show the relation of the parts to the'compound cam.

In Figs. 1, 6, '1, 8, 9 and 10 is represented a type of machine in whichthe dial D is on the outside and the cylinder C is on the inside.

As it is customary to permit the knitting material to go between thedial and the cylinder, the cylinder is supported by means of a centralshaft S carried by suitable supports shown as bars 2 and 3 extendingacross from the cam carrier plate A which is supported on frame F of themachine.

Plate A usually has gear teeth IOI which mesh with a small driving gearI02 and rest on other gears such as 402, 502. Plate A also has aprojecting annular flange II3 which is held in place and guided byslotted heads I04, I04 as it revolves. Y

In the bottom of plate A is the usual dial needle guide groove I05having the usual retracting cam part I05 and an advancing cam slot I01,through which I project my special compound cam K. which engages thebutts or cam followers 1 of some or all the dial needles H and directssome or all of them into the advancing cam slot I01 along which theytravel until they reach the part I06 which retracts them and directsthem to the main annular groove I05 where they may rejoin any otherswhich have continued along by-pass Ill.

.Cam carrier plate A, as is common in such machines. carries the varioustrip devices and cams well known to the trade. Teeth I01 and gear I02are all driven by the drive shaft S, S of any usual type.

G represents a cylinder needle of the usual latch type and H representsa dial needle 01' the usual latch dial type while T represents atransfer needle.

Y, Y represents the knitting yarn or thread.

In every latch needle, 5 represents the hook, 6 the latch and I or 40the needle butts or cam followers all of well known type.

Dial needles H slide in horizontal grooves or slots I03 in dial D,cylinder needles G slide in vertical slots 203 near the inside ofcylinder C and transfer needles T slide in vertical slots 303 also incylinder C, but nearer its outside each being close to and behind a slot203 and a cylinder needle G. Each cylinder needle G has a butt 40 whichprojects inward through a short vertical slot 240 through the inside ofcylinder C and into a cam groove indicated generally by 205 in theoutside of cam cylinder L and above a butt 33 of an adjoining transferneedle T which butt 33 also projects inward through a short verticalslot 233 in cylinder C, which is under and in line with the slot 240,and into a cam groove indicated generally by 305 in the outside of camcylinder L. Needles G and T can, therefore, be operated independently ofeach other.

Each transfer needle T has a comparatively straight shank 30 whichslides in its groove 303 v and has a butt 33 while its pointed end 3I isbent in towards an adjoining cylinder needle G so that, preferably, itwill scrape along the back of that needle as it moves up. Needle T hasan eye 34 and the notches 35, 35 midway up are on the side next theneedle G, the eye 34 being so formed at the top that its sides convergeto the split 36 which extends up to the point. There should be enoughspace in eye 34 below the notches 35, 35 and above the top of thecylinder C for a dial needle H to pass through and the dial needles 35should be so positioned that, when they are successively moved forwardhorizontally, they will pass through the eye of a transfer needle ifthere is such a transfer needle opposite tothe one advanced.

Shaft S, at its bottom, carries a plate 200 a the usual revoluble camcylinder L, in the outside of which is the usual cylinder needle guidegroove 205 having the usual retracting cam part 206 and a cylinderneedle advancing cam slot 201 through which I project my retractablecylinder needle cam M which advances all or some of the cylinder needlesG while 206 retracts them and 205 keeps them retracted.

208 is one by-pass for the cylinder needles through which the butts orcam followers of needles which are temporarily or permanently out ofaction will travel.

Cylinder C rests on plate 200 and is kept from revolving by dogs such as60 which extend outward and rest against wheels such as I6I on arms suchas I62 fixed to dial D in a well known manner.

Shaft S, cam cylinder L and needle cylinder C are all somewhat longerthan usual to permit the installation of transfer needle cams or othersuitable operating devices below those of the cylinder needles.

I prefer to provide, at a point in advance of cam M, an additional setof grooves extending up from groove 205, one 401 being a slot foradvancing and the other 406 for retracting the cylinder needles at theright time. Through cam slot 401, I can project my supplementarycylinder cam or switch 0 and can retract it at the right times.

The part 408 of groove 205 serves as a by-pass between 406 and 401, butis normally a part of .ing the various needles and other parts whichcylinder needles travel except when the transfer is going on.

Below and between the regular and supplementary cylinder needle camgrooves, I provide a transfer needle guide groove 305 having aretracting part 306 similar to 205 and a transfer needle advancing camslot 301 through which I project my retractable transfer needle cam Nwhich when in operation projecting through slot 301 will advance thetransfer needles T, T while 306 retracts them and 305 keeps themretracted. 308 is the by-pass forming part of groove 305 through whichthe transfer needle butts 33 travel except when the transfer is goingon.

When both cylinder needles and transfer needles are out of action whilethe dial needles are forming the shaker stitch, all the cylinder needlebutts such as '40 remain in this annular groove 205, 208, 408 and allthe transfer needle butts 33 remain in annular groove 305, 308.-

The cam slots such as I01, 201, 301 and 401 extend entirely througheither the dial cam plate or cam cylinder and with the respective camsor switches which pass through them form part of the cam groove for thebutts of the dial needles, the cylinder needles or the transfer needlesrespectively. I

While I show the cams or switches such as K, M, N, 0 in the form ofrevoluble discs, they are shown in this manner to indicate that such aconstruction can be used and that a compound cam such as K, which reallymeans two cams both of disc form, could be substituted for the cams M, Nor 0 if it was so desired and could be operated by mechanism such asthat shown in the drawings Figs. 25 to 32. I i

A simpler form of switch is shown in Fig. 19 at V. This is merely a flatpiece of metal which can be moved into or out of any one of the groovessuch as I05, 205, 305, 405, to switch the metal butts away from theby-pass such as I08, 208, 308 or 408, thus advancing therespectiveneedles, or can be retracted allowing them to go through the by-pass.

Moreover, in the type of knitting frame where the dial is on the insideand the cylinder on the outside, these respective cams or switches canbe suitably located, the only thing necessary being that some sort ofselective cam must be used to bring all of the needles of the dial orall of the needles of the cylinder into action att-the time the shakerstitch is to be made, and toitake out of action those opposite anyneedles of the other set when the rib stitch is to be made.

The cam or device K might be replaced by any device which would allowthe cam followers of certain needles to pass, while switching the othersinto an advancing slot or groove, associated with another cam or switchwhich would either advance all of them or switch all of them into anadvancing groove. For suitably moving the various cams or switches, Ifind it convenient to use the well known chain timing device.

The chain timing devices Y include a gear 502 connected by a gear chainwith a sprocket 20,

chain 25 and the various high links or fingers 22, 23, 24 and 2| which,at suitable intervals, are brought up proximate a member 4 which raisesor allows to drop the control dog J which carries control members suchas I2, I3, I4, II of differ-- ent lengths and positions. By the raisingand moved more or less up and down outside of plate A so that they willbe struck by the operating arms of the various cam mechanisms foroperatdial needles.

are carried by plate A and extend outward or upwardtherefrom.

K represents a preferred type of compound rotary cam which, as shown, Iuse for operating the v This comprises a support fixed to the revolvingcam carrier plate A which supports a freely revoluble disc 5I havingdiagonal notches 52 in its periphery so spaced that each notch willpermit the passage or rather will not strike the butt 1 of alternatedial needles H.

Disc 5| is set at such an angle that it acts as a plough as it sweepsaround with plate A successively engaging the butts 1 or alternate buttsas the case might be, as it revolves by friction.

As disc 5I is positioned and rolls in the direction of the arrow W, inFig. 31A and slides also in the direction of arrow Z, when plate 54hereinafter described or the part I52 between notches 52 engages a butt1, its needle H, being slidable in its groove I03, is pushed from X toY, but as each notch 52 rolls down and then up, as shown in Fig. 31, itallows a butt 1 to pass therethrough and the corresponding needleremains in its place. 1

As shown, the notches 52 are so spaced and the periphery of revolubledisc 5I is of such length that as it is revolved by frictional contactwith the surface of dial D, the notches 52 will register revolves thuscausing the teeth I52 between the I notches 52 to lift, but the wholemovement is compound, the result being that while a butt I whichregisters with a notch 52 will not be moved, the alternate butts 1 willengage the teeth formed at I52 between the notches and the movement ofthese teeth as the disc 5I revolves will be to switch those particularneedles into the advancing slot I01, as shown in Figs. 18 and 31. Theteeth I52 thus engaging the butts I correct any tendency of the disc 5|to slip so that the parts will not register and the action between themnot only advances the alternate butts, but keeps the disc 5| revolvingand slipping correctly. This 4 action moves these cam butts 1 ofalternate needles towards the center at the desired time.

54 is a plateor plough which is slidable up and down behind disc 5| soconnected with retracting and advancing devices, shown as trip mechanism1 W, W that it can be moved up from behind the plate 54 down behind thenotches 52. This spring I50 is shown as wound around a shaft I5I whichcarries plate 54 and the notched ratchet wheel I51 which is turned fromtime to time by a pawl I53 having a spring I54 and carried by an arm I55on the top of a shaft I56 from which extends an arm 58 such arm being ina position where it extends 6 outward and can be struck by members I2,I2 carried by dog J when dog J is raised to a certain predeterminedheight by a. suitable link of the timing chain. I

Shaft I5| also carries a trip and cam I 59 which engages a trip cammember I58 fixed to support 50 on dial D. These. parts are so adjustedthat when each member I2 is struck by arm 58, -it partly turns shaft I55which swings arm I55 with pawl I53 enough to turn ratchet m and memberI59 one-quarter turn, so that it rides on I58 thus lifting shaft I5I andplate 54 from notches 52. When the second member I2 is struck, anotherquarter turn is made and plate 54 is lifted and held away from notches52 while the rib stitch is being made. Members I2, I2 are dropped out ofthe way until the transfer when they are moved up and member I59 dropsinto I58 allowing plate 54 to block the notches 52 so that all the dialneedlesH will then beadvanced as cam K sweeps around with plate A.

Plate 54 is carried by and guided by bracket plate 254 which slides onguides 255 forming part of support 50 and shaft I5I carries it upanddown and its lower end revolves in bracket plate 254.

To bring the cams M, N and into operation and to take them out ofoperation, I utilize a type of spring actuated latches 8|, 83 and 84 ofa well known type which are caused to move at the proper time by memberssuch as I I, I3, I4. Each of these latches is on a pivot and springpressed so that one part normally projects outside plate A and is pushedout by a spring, but when it is struck or when it strikes one of thecontrol members, it is moved and is caught and held by a trigger untilthe trigger is released by striking a suitable member, when the latchsprings back to its usual position. These latches are old and well knownon knitting machines. I Latch BI is connected by an arm II with cam M,latch 83 by arm I3 with cam O and latch 84 by arm I4 with cam N.

Each one of the control arms II, 73, I4 is bent over and down inside ofthe cylinder C and carries respectively one of the cams M, O or N and isattached to its latch in such a way that as the latch is moved, itscontrol arm slides longitudinally carrying with it, its appropriate cameither into action through its appropriate slot or out of action.

The particular arrangement of the control members II, I2, I2, I3 and I4,of the latches BI, 83, 84 and device W is a matter of adjustment, but inthe simple form of the machine set for transferring rib to shaker stitchand in the preferred form, the arrangement is as follows:

The machine may be started with any stitch such as that lmown as halfcardigan and is then shifted to rib in which all of the cylinder needlesand those of the dial needles which are not opposite them are doing thework.

At the desired time, the regular cylinder cam M is withdrawn and at thesame time the extra cylinder cam O, which is aheads of it, is pushedthrough its slot and at the same place the transfer cylinder cam N ispushed through its slot, the result being that there is no more ribstitching, but on that particular round all the rib stitches are takenoff and as the regular cam M is out of action and, as the disc 54 ondial cam K is brought into action at such time as to advance the dormantor alternate dial needles through the transfer needles, the transfer iscomplete.

For transferring with my device, it is necessary that certain needles onthe dial and certain needles on the cylinder should be opposite to eachother so that between them can be located a transfer needle through theeye of which either one or the other can be pushed at the proper time,and it is necessary to have a special, selectlve or compound cam orother device of such" As in knitting a rib stitch, the dial needles aretimed to advance ahead of the cylinder needles, I find it convenient touse an additional cam action positioned ahead of the regular cylindercam action with the transfer cam action be- 5 tween them. This makesfive cam actions namely: one for all the dial needles, one for part ofthe dial needles, the regular cylinder needle action, the specialcylinder needle action and the transfer needle action. This means thatthere may be five advancing and five retracting movements for theneedles and it also means that there are preferably five cams orswitches which are brought into and out of action in timed relation oneto the other.

To anyone familiar with the art, it is obvious that I can use mytransfer needles and cams with suitable timing devices for makingvarious fancy stitches and modifications and that if the shakerstitch ismade on the cylinder needles, I can use my transfer needles on the dialand in fact I can use transfer needles associated with some of theneedles of the dial and also of the cylinder or in fact with all ofthese needles, if there was any object in so doing, cutting my cams andarranging my timing devices in such way that any of the needles can becaused to function according to the stitch desired.

If transfer needles are associated with the dial needles, there shouldbe a compound cam to operate the cylinder needles. I may use transferneedles associated with both the cylinder and the dial and in such case,I use a compound cam with both cylinder and dial.

I claim:

1. The combination in a knitting machine having a dial with radial latchneedles and a cylinder with axial latch needles, such cylinder needlesbeing positioned in the same vertical plane with some of the dialneedles; a series of transfer needles each parallel with and positionedbetween a cylinder needle and a dial needle, the point of each transferneedle being slidable along a cylinder needle, and being longitudinallysplit from its pointed tip to an eye the opposite top walls of whichconverge, and having a holding notch on the side next the cylinderneedle near the top of the eye; operating means including a retractablecam adapted to move the cylinder needles successively up and down and tocause them to remain out of action; operating means including aretractable cam for successively moving the transfer needles up and downand to cause them to remain out of action; operating means forsuccessively moving the dial needles in and out including a compound camfor advancing all or part of the dial needles, said cam comprising arevoluble disc member which is peripherally notched in such manner as tooperate the dial needles which are not opposite the cylinder needles,and a retractable plough to cover or uncover some of said notches sothat together they will advance all of the dial needles; and timingmeans for causing the respective operating means to operate the cylinderneedles with dial g5 needles which are not opposite and to put them -outof operation, to bring the transfer needles into operation to receivethe loops from the cylinder needles as the cylinder needles go out ofoperation, to cause the hooks of some dial needles to pass through theeyes of transfer needles, and to withdraw the transfer needles fromoperation.

2. The combination in a circular knitting machine having needlecarriers; of a compound cam comprising a revoluble disc having notchesin its edge and a slidable plough having a plain edge, and means tocause said plough to move so that some of the notches are covered oruncovered by the plough at predetermined intervals.

3. The combination in a circular knitting machine of two sets oflongitudinally slidable latch needles some of which are positioned inthe same plane at substantially right angles with each other and withtheir hooks in proximity; of a set of transfer needles positionedbetween some of the latch needles which are at substantially rightangles with each other and in the same plane, each transfer needle beingpointed at its end which is nearest the hook of the adjoining latchneedle said point being split to form an eye the upper inside edges ofwhich slope towards each other, said point being in contact with and'slidable along the edge of such latch needle which is opposite the hookand said eye being of a width to permit the passage of one of the otherlatch needles which is at right angles thereto and in the same plane;together with means for reciprocating both sets of latch needles and oftransfer needles and of throwing some or all ofeach set into or out ofaction. l

4. The combination in a circular knitting machine of two longitudinallyslidable latch needles positioned in the same plane at substantiallyright angles with each other and with their hooks in proximity; of atransfer needle slidable along and behind one of the latch needlesbetween it and the other latch needle, said transfer needle beingpointed at one end which is nearest the book of its adjoining latchneedle, said pointed end engaging and being slidable along the edge ofsuch latch needle which is opposite its hook,

having a loop holding stop and being split to PHILIP KAPLAN.

